HTC Trade-Up dangles up to $300 for your old smartphone

HTC will now offer trade-in values for old smartphones.
via Scott Webster

HTC, hoping to attract new Android and Windows Phone buyers, is now offering cash back for old smartphones. A new HTC Trade-Up page has gone live online to lets users calculate how much their aging handset might be worth.

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The program is essentially a four-step process, starting with a quote for your existing smartphone. Once you buy a new HTC device, simply mail in your old smartphone. Providing everything matches up with the details you reported to HTC, you'll get your refund in the form of a Visa prepaid card that's good for up to 30 days.

HTC will accept just about any device from any manufacturer or platform.

As most readers know, there are many other options available to folks looking to get rid of an old smartphone, including eBay, Craigslist, and Swappa. Depending on how much time or effort you want to invest, one of these might be a more rewarding route. A Galaxy Nexus (Sprint), for instance, is estimated at $135 on HTC's program, whereas eBay currently shows multiple listings at $190 and above.

HTC will be especially keen to start up its new program now that it's launched new Windows phones, like the premium HTC Windows Phone 8X.